Volosozhar & Trankov: Sochi Favourites?

Very impressed by Volosozhar & Trankov today at Euro's, especially given the fact that Maxim was skating in very trying circumstances. Savchenko & Szolkowy now look well past their prime. Hence, I think V&T have to now be favourites to win 2013 Worlds and the Olympic title.

Savcehnko/Szolkowy not competing full this season have hurt them, they have lower pcs than V/T and that gap will get bigger especially with V/T skating a clean program. Bazarova/Larionov are silver favorites with S/S and D/R maybe for bronze

aging teams like P/T can pull a medal contention
though sadly Kavaguti/Smirnov are done

I think V/T has been gifted huge scores for terribly constructed and skated programs coming from a strong federation competing at the Olympic on home ice. Yeah, they're the favourites.

This. Saddly I think that V/T are pretty much locked for the gold now. If international judges give them 9s for the kind of programs and performances they've shown this season, then nobody else stands a chance really.

I think they are the favourites but I also think they were overscored at Euros today. I don't think S/S should have been four points back in the FS. I think V/T were the rightful leaders since S/S had a fall, but not by that margin. I much prefer S/S and minus the horrible costumes, their program is much better - more interesting and intricate. I think they'll take silver in Sochi and B/L will take the bronze, maybe (if not Pang/Tong or Duhamel/Radford). I know people are saying B/L are the silver favourites now but I can't recall an instance when B/L were held up against S/S undeservedly.

A lot of people say that they are overscored, I politely disagree with it. For the last 2-3 season an "inflation" of points has been going on. S/S got huge scores too, I think they got more than TTMM at the Olys-2006. OMO, judges generally should be more careful with giving the points or soon 200+ won't be enough to be in the Worlds top5 and we'll be hitting 300.
As to the topic, yeah V/T are looking like favourites and I hope they'll won, I admit that I'm their huuuuge fan. But it's not guaranteed, If SS will skate cleaner than the VT they will be winners, the last night was the first time VT won and it was partly because SS themselves made such big mistakes

S&S's programs are a bore this year, and I wouldnt even have their PCS as high as they are. Their costumes, music choice, interpretation, all dreadful, some of their worst work ever; if it a team who the judges had never seen before were doing that kind of thing the judges would laugh and give it 5s in PCS probably. In the case that anyone is overscored over the years it is in fact S&S for me. Their 2008 World title over the Zhangs and Dube & Davison absolutely floored the EuroSport commentators who were certain they were only going into 3rd place when they finished. Bin Yao, one of the most highly respected coaches in the sport, complained about the Germans scores on many occasions from 2008-2010. Their European title over Kavaguti & Smirnov in 2011 was a big controversy, and many felt K&S should have been much closer to them at the 2009 Europeans too. I also thought V&T should have beaten them at the GP final and Worlds last year, especialy Worlds.

In the event V&T do win their first World title this year it will be overdue justice IMO. V&T often against S&S get no credit for the things they do better, especialy the triple twist which is light years better than S&S's quite pathetic one which should score about what Totmianina & Marinin scored on theirs, while V&T's is possibly the best I have ever seen, including the Chinese pairs at their peak. Their death spirals and spins are much nicer and more accurately done IMO, and S&S have the ugliest positions on death spirals, although again not reflected in TES by the judges at all. S&S are a great team of course, 4 time World Champions, and I do understand the many reasons people like them alot, but I dont get all the over the top love and borderline worship for them on this forum. I still remember posters not merely debating, but agressively insisting and even trying to brainwash me into admiting that they were better than Totmianina & Marinin who dominated in their era, had a winning record vs prime Shen & Zhou who S&S couldnt even touch in old granny age, who were both much cleaner technique (apart from lifts and the triple twist) than S&S and also had overall more polished lines, unision, positions, and better basic skating than S&S, and who had more clean long programs in 2 months than S&S have had their whole careers.

I disagree B&L are the silver favorites though. Their awful programs this year aside S&S are still the better team at this point, and also still more the judges favorite of the two. S&S are the silver medal favorites, and still a threat to V&T for the gold although I agree with the prevailing consensus V&T are now pulling ahead, and rightfully so.

Well for years I thought Ssquared were overscored so I just give up. I sometimes can't see why certain skaters or teams do so well in some cases ie. Kim, Chan and Takahshi iti s evident but I never understood Squared or V and T's doinance. I think Ssquared are still the faves without the error they would have been first.

V/T are much overscored. Their program is extremely boring, empty, monotonous, just one element after another. S/S are much better as quality of skating as a whole, choreography and expression. I do not understant the judges' love for V/T, maybe because the OG will be in Russia, ther want to pre-determine the Sochi favorites in view to the fact that Russia have less chances to win gold in ice dance event, Plushenko suffers from injuries, and with the comeback of Yu Na Kim, also with Asada, Wagner and etc. the gold at ladies event is also unsure.

V/T are much overscored. Their program is extremely boring, empty, monotonous, just one element after another. S/S are much better as quality of skating as a whole, choreography and expression. I do not understant the judges' love for V/T, maybe because the OG will be in Russia, ther want to pre-determine the Sochi favorites in view to the fact that Russia have less chances to win gold in ice dance event, Plushenko suffers from injuries, and with the comeback of Yu Na Kim, also with Asada, Wagner and etc. the gold at ladies event is also unsure.

I don't think we'll see a Russian ladies gold medalist until possibly 2018. Adelina and Liza haven't shown the necessary dominance to really consider them gold contenders, ie. the dominance of someone like Mao, Yuna, or even Ashley and Carolina.

I wouldn't count S/S out just yet. Aliona suffered from an illness this season so they only competed in one GP event. Better to struggle a bit this season then next like they did during the last Olympic season.

I wonder if it really is this easy. To underestimate S/S and think V/T have it in the bag is a mistake. Of course, Russia will push V/T as they seem to be their safe bet for a medal in Sochi in a sport that was once dominated by them. They have to act. But if V/T make mistakes and S/S don't - V/T won't win. Imagine the outcry. I think this seasons programs of S/S were lacklustre. It is pre-olympic season. I'm bored by quite a few programs. I would be very surprised, if S/S are not already working on a masterpiece for next season, a programme which will end their career with a bang. They want that gold, it is their last chance! Like Jammers said, it's better to have a weak season (well, what is weak, really? Being Silver Medallists at EC?), in the 2012/13 season than to have problems in the next. I wish them luck and I'm sure they won't be going down without a fight.